Holding forth the Word f Life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ
Philippians 2:16
Trinity Reformed Baptist Church
Topeka, Kansas 66614
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Ye Must Be Born Again --Jesus Christ
Jesus said to Nicodemus, one of the religious leaders of his day, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” John 3:3 Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus meant. Sadly, many today do not understand Jesus’ words either. Let me ask you plainly, have you ever been born again? Have you ever been made a new person, set free from the power of sin in your life, and with a longing to live your life in a way that is pleasing to God? According to Jesus, if you haven’t been born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God. In other words, you will not spend eternity with God in heaven, but will instead be separated from him in hell. It is not enough to say that you have “accepted Jesus in your heart” or “asked for forgiveness”. Jesus said you must be born again.
But how is one “born again”? By believing in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the good news about what God has done in and through Jesus Christ to reconcile sinners to Himself. To “reconcile” is to restore a good relationship between two parties who are at odds with one another. According to the Bible, every man born into the world starts out as an enemy of God by birth. Because of our sin, we are sinners who are under God’s judgment. The following ideas and Bible verses present foundational truths by which we may rightly understand and receive the promises and blessings of the gospel and thereby become born again. Please consider these truths carefully and seek to understand your standing before a Holy God.
GOD. There is only one true God and He has revealed Himself to us in His word (the Bible). He is the holy and just Creator of all things, including you. Because He made you, He has authority over you. Have you ever truly recognized Him for who He is and fully submitted to Him as your Creator and God? To do so, you must begin with a proper understanding of who God is. Here are a few verses from the Bible to help you better know Him.
HE IS THE CREATOR: Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.
HE IS HOLY: Psalm 5:4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
HE IS JUST: Psalm 34:16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
HE IS AGAINST THOSE WHO LOVE AND PRACTICE THEIR SIN: Psalm 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
HE MADE US FOR HIS PURPOSES: Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
MAN. God created man (men and women) in His image and likeness. This means we are unlike the animals in that we have a soul. However, we have sinned against God by breaking His holy commandments, seeking to live life in our own sinful way. Man is therefore separated from God because of sin. Man is spiritually dead and unable to obey God’s Word in his own strength or ability. This is why people continue to practice their sins despite wanting to and trying to stop their sin. As a result, man will one day physically die and stand before God to give an account for every thought, word and deed. According to the Bible we will all be “judged according to our deeds” in the final day of judgment. Imagine what it is to stand before an earthly judge if you are guilty. Now consider that one day you will stand before the Almighty God to be judged.
Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and
let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and
over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth
upon the earth.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,
and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Isaiah
59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins
have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
Romans 6:23a For the wages of
sin is death….
1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for
sin is the transgression of the law.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing,
and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and
our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful,
and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers,
and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with
fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
CHRIST. In light of the previous two truths, what mankind needs is a holy and righteous Savior who can rescue men from their sin. Thankfully, God is a God who also loves. God demonstrated this love by sending Jesus, the eternal Son of God in human flesh. Jesus is this holy and righteous Savior. He is also the only mediator who can restore man to a right relationship with God. This happens when we are born again and become children of God by believing in Jesus Christ. Jesus did what we could not do. He lived in perfect obedience to God’s law, suffered and died on the cross in the place of sinners (bearing their sin, guilt, and judgment), rose in victory from the grave (defeating sin and death), and now sits at the right hand of God the Father where He reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords. There is salvation (deliverance from the power and penalty of sin) in no one else.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth.
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between
God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners;
of whom I am chief.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there
is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Romans
1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness,
by the resurrection from the dead:
RESPONSE. The question remains, “How does this become good news for me?” Do you recognize that you have lived a life of sin against God, and are therefore deserving of His just wrath and judgment? Is your heart broken over these things? Do you desire to be forgiven of your sins and restored to a right relationship to God? Are you willing to give up your life of sin and follow Jesus? This is what the Bible calls repentance. To repent is to have a radical change of mind regarding sin and God. It’s a change from loving sin and hating God to hating sin and loving God. To follow Jesus is a costly matter. It will cost you your very life. You will no longer be able to live as you please, but will seek to do God’s will from this day forward. Are you willing to repent and follow Jesus?
We must not only repent, but we must also believe in Jesus Christ. Many claim to believe in Him whose lives have never changed. It is one thing to sincerely think you believe in Jesus and it is quite another thing to actually put your faith and trust in Him and believe that He will save you from the power of sin in your day to day life. That is why the Bible says to “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith”(2 Corinthians 13:5) To believe in Jesus is to believe that Jesus is who the Bible says He is and that He has done what the Bible says He has done. By repenting of your sin and believing in Jesus Christ, you can be born again. But you must understand you don’t have the strength in yourself to accomplish this miraculous new birth. To be born again is God’s work accomplished in all those who are willing to repent and believe in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation.
Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth
not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Acts 20:21 Testifying
both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 10:42-43 And he commanded us to preach unto the people,
and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and
dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth
in him shall receive remission of sins.
What now? Having read this flyer, do you now desire to repent of your sin and believe
in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sin and rose from the dead for your
salvation? Do you recognize that it is your believing in Jesus Christ alone that
saves you? If you believe with all your heart, it is important for you to understand
that “…as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name:
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13. In other words,
those who truly believe in Jesus have been born again. If this miraculous new birth
has taken place in your heart, begin to tell others about what Christ has done for
you. Start reading God’s Word daily (begin in the Gospel of John and the Psalms)
and talk to God in prayer. As soon as possible, obey God by being baptized and attend
a Bible believing church. However, you need to understand that there are good churches
and bad churches. You need to find a church that is truly committed to the Bible,
to the gospel you have just believed as explained in this flyer, and to God’s glory.
Be sure to compare everything you are taught with the Bible, including what is in this flyer.
It is also important to understand that a true Christian (follower of Jesus Christ) will continue to follow Jesus throughout his life. If you find yourself living a life that is contrary to the way Jesus Christ lived once you say you have believed in Jesus, do not rely upon this or any other past experience that you may have had and think that you must be a Christian. According to Jesus, even those who had “believed” in Him still must follow him as the evidence of the genuineness of their faith. “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:31-32
If you still don’t believe in the gospel, then I would lovingly plead with you to continue to think on these things. Recognize that you are under the judgment of a Holy God until you put your faith in Jesus Christ. This is a matter of eternal life or death. Take it seriously. Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7:13-14. My prayer is that you will enter through the narrow gate, which is Jesus Christ, and be born again.
adaptation of a book by Greg Gilbert entitled, “What Is the Gospel”. Published by Crossway Books
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